Talking machine



H. R. BLEYER TALKING MACHINE Feb. 17, 1931.

Filed May 25, 1928 Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TALKING meonrnn Application filed May 28, 1928, Serial No. 280,904, and in Germany May 2, 1927.

My invention relates to talking-machines and more particularly to machines the records of which are provided with sound grooves arranged in closed concentric circles 1n adjacent relation, each groove corresponding to one tone, and the complete record constituting a scale. It is an object of my invention to provide means for playing any desired tune on a normal talking-machine with a single record of the character described.

To this end I provide a stationary guide plate in combination with the rotary record and I provide holes in the guide plate for the insertion of the needle so that by inserting the needle in the holes of the guide plate in proper sequence, any tune may be played.

It has already been proposed to employ records of the type referred to for playing various tunes with a single record, but in this case the record was combined with as many sound boxes as there were grooves in the record, each sound box cooperating with a key in the manner of a piano or the like, and each key serving for insertin the needle of the corresponding sound box 1n-to one of the grooves of the record.

This complication is eliminated in my invention in which only a single sound box is required.

Instead of the normal records of a talk-' ing-machine which are very expensive and permit the playing of only one or, at most, two pieces of muslc, my invention provides cheap means for playing any piece of music on a normal machine Without the necessity of providing complicated mechanical equip ment.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention I provide a record plate of known type in which concentric sound grooves are provided in the manner of a scale each groove corresponding to a tone, as described, and a stationary guide plate which is held directly above the rotating record. The guide plate is provided with as many holes as there are tones in the pieceof music which isplayed with the gulde plate. For persons unacquainted with music the holes in which the needle of the sound box is inserted, are arranged in the proper sequence and connected by lines. An indication of the corresponding note is provided near each hole for enabling the operator to control the duration of the sound. For persons acquainted with music, the holes are arranged in a straight line, with the corresponding note indicated beside each hole.

The position of the holes corresponds exactly to the position of the grooves in the record. By using sound records from various instruments, as, for instance, a piano,

a violin, a trumpet, etc., tunes may be played in the tone of anyinstrument, it being only necessary to combine with a corresponding guide plate a record of the kind described which reproduces the sound of that instrument.

In the drawing aflixed to this specification and forming part thereof a record and a 7, guide plate according to my invention are illustrated diagrammatically by way of example.

I In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the combined rec- 0rd and guide plate, with the tune plate partly broken away,

' Figs. 2 and 3 are separate-plan views of a record and a guide plate, respectively,

Fig. his a section on the line AB in Fig. 1. so

Referring now to the drawing, 1) is a record, c is a guide plate, d are the sound ooves of the record, 6 is a handle on the guide late 0, g is a sound box, 7 is the needle 0 the sound box, it are holes infthe guide plate which are connected by a line for the use of persons unacquainted with music, 2' are holes arranged in a straight line for persons. acquainted with music, the holes 72. and i being adapted to receive the needle f, as illus- 9,0 trated in Fig. 4.

, In operation the guide plate 0 is held by the handle e with the left hand, and with the right hand the sound box 9 is handled for inserting the needle in the holes 11. or i. The player lnserts the sound box needle in the several holes exactly as he'would touch the keys or the chords of a musical instrument, and in this manner any music can be played from a given record with the guide plate.

By exchanging the guide plates for a given record, any tune may be played with the sound-of the instrument from which the rec- ,ord was taken, and, conversely, by exchanging the records for a given guide plate, the tune on the uide plate may be rendered with the sound oi various instruments, as a piano, a violin, etc. It will be understood that the guide plate 0 does not rotate as it is held by any suitable means and referably by the handle 6. While the record 2) is rotating, the needle 7 is inserted in the holes h or i and lowered into the groove 01 of the record which is below that hole. The sound box may be secured to the end of a normal sound arm and the sound arm must be adapted to move in-accordance with the handling of the needle 7. The tempo is selected by the player and with some practice and skill any music will be rendered in the proper tempo.

The initial cost of a talking-machine is reduced by my invention as each tune does not require a separate and expensive record of ebonite or the like but re uires only a tune plate which may be made 0 card board,,metal or the like, and is cheap in proportion, and a single record for reproducing the sound of a given instrument.

With the arrangement of holes indicated at 71 persons acquainted with music are able to play any tune independently of the system of oles h. The holes 6 are preferably arranged in a straight line and correspond to a scale.

An expert player will insert the needle into the corresponding hole exactly as he depresess the keys of a piano, or touches the chords of a 'chord instrument. For pieces of music for which a single row of holes is not sufficient, a second, third, etc., row of holes may be provided, as the width of the grooves is much smaller than the pitch of the holes. In the case of three rows ofholes, for instance, the holes of the first row correspond to the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th, the holes of the second row to the 2nd, 5th, and 8th, and the holes of thethird row to the 3rd, 6th and 9th grooves.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a talking machine the combination of a disc recordadapted to be placed upon the table of a talking machine so that rotary motion is imparted to said record, said record having rooves of such form that when the stylus 0 said talking machine is applied to each of the grooves in succession a diaphragm attached to the stylus will give ofi' a scale of sounds, with a guide plate having holes for I the. insertion of the stylus.

' 2. In a talking machine the combination of a disc'record adapted to be placed upon the table of a talking machine so that rotary motion is imparted to said record, said record having stylus 0 said talking machine is applied to each of the grooves in succession a diaphragm attached to the stylus will give off a scale of sounds, with a guide plate havin holes for the insertion of the stylus, each hole corresponding to a definite groove in said record.

3. In a talkin machine'the combination of a disc record a apted to be placed upon the table of a talking machine so that rotary motion is imparted to said record, said record having rooves of such form that when the stylus 0 said talking machine is applied to each of the grooves in succession a diaphragm attached to the stylus will give oif a scale of sounds, with a guide plate having holes for the insertion of the stylus, said holes being so positioned with respect to the grooves in said record that by inserting the stylus therein in a given sequence, a tune will be played.

4. In a talking machine the combination of a disc record adapted to be placed upon the table of a talking machine so that rotary motion is imparted to said record, said record having rooves of such form that when the stylus of said talking machine is applied to each of the grooves in succession a diaphragm attached-to the stylus will give oil a scale of sounds, with a guide plate having holes for'the insertion of the stylus, and indications near said holes.

In testimon whereof I aflix my si nature.

HERM NNROBERT BLE ER.

rooves of such form that when the 

